Why High School
by Fantasy OH YEA
Summary: Vale Central High School was the place to be for all drug addicts, struggling academics, and everything in between. Jaune just wanted to get through High School without being dead or having dropped out, but what will he have to go through in order to achieve this? High School AU.
1. Chapter 1

Jaune woke up feeling like shit. This was nothing new for Jaune who had just reached the age of realizing being young was awesome and he shouldn't have rushed it. But the more pressing issue was that of his 13 year old sister screaming and pounding on his door.

"Jauneeee, we're gonna be late!"

Jaune rolled out of bed and onto the ground, wrapped in his cocoon of warmth and hoping that this was some fucked up lucid dream.

"OK I'm coming in so put your dick away!" Amber shouldered the door open with her small frame and marched into the room. "Get up lazy boy," she punctuated each word with a kick to the mass of blanket and limbs on the floor.

It wasn't a dream, "Ok ok, jeez what's got you riled up."

"School!" It was with that statement that Jaune realized his sister's attire; She had tight jeans, a black tank top, and most painful of all, a backpack. It was with that final observation and his sister's words that he realized he wouldn't mind getting hit by a car right now.

* * *

"Well here we are, don't do drugs or whatev…" Jaune's words died in his mouth as Amber bolted from his car as fast as possible, "love you too."

"You were the same at her age y'know," His other younger sister, Lavender, helpfully supplied from the shotgun seat, "who wants to be seen with their lame older brother?"

"Whatever," Jaune weakly deflected, "onto VCH."

This was the fourth week of junior year and Jaune's initial excitement at a brand new year of school had died a quick and ugly death upon the first sight of Vale Central High School, or VCH if you don't have time. He wasn't unpopular, per se, but he was certain he wasn't popular. Jaune had a good friend and a handful of people he hung out with on a regular basis, and in all honesty Jaune didn't want more than that.

Jaune glanced to his right and looked at his polar opposite; Lavender was popular, and had shit loads of people she could call best friends, she reveled in high school life. With just three weeks into school she had already managed to make herself the freshmen to beat, and no one looked like they had a chance of beating her. Jaune didn't care that much, he just hoped she wouldn't make stupid decisions but he knew their wasn't much he could do to stop her if she did.

Jaune parked about two blocks from school in the only open spot he could see and stepped out of the car; he was wearing a baggy t-shirt with a picture of a dog and some accompanying text and a pair of loose jeans. He looked across the car at Lavender who appeared to be wearing a light blue tube top and a white skirt and had her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Jaune opened the back door to his Honda Civic and pulled his bag out and slammed the door shut, he then walked around the car to the sidewalk and locked his car. The summer heat was still in effect but it was windy enough that jeans wouldn't kill him. Jaune saw a couple classmates making there way down the sidewalk across the street and decided walking might work for him as well.

Lavender broke off as he approached school as she evidently recognized some friends of hers and darted off to engage in conversation; Jaune lazily marched on as well, he glanced at his phone to see what class he had. With his head down he didn't see where he was walking and bumped into the back of some kid. Jaune mumbled an apology and looked up to see the piercing pink eyes of Lie Ren.

"Watch where you are going, punk," Ren stared down at Jaune, and Jaune met his gaze.

Jaune's mouth broke out in a toothy smile and he made some complicated handshake with Ren as he too gave a wide grin. Peering over Ren's shoulder was a bob of orange hair in a pixie cut and the face of one Nora Valkyrie.

"What's up Jaune?" Nora, without waiting for a response, then went back yammering on in Ren's ear. Nora was wearing a pink blouse with jean shorts while Ren had a plain green t-shirt and basketball shorts. Ren was Jaune's one good friend, although he couldn't hang recently as Nora took a lot of work and monopolized a lot of Ren's free time; Jaune was certain that Nora didn't have any malign intentions behind this, it was just how Ren and Nora decided to be a couple.

"Let's actually get to class Nora," chided Ren, breaking up Nora's stream of incoherent words. She looked puzzled for a minute, until the first bell rang and she made a pouty face.

"No stair time?" Nora said with a smile, "we can miss World History, Bart loves you."

"That is true," Ren seemed to be visibly straining to refuse whatever offer Nora was proposing, before steeling his face, "but he doesn't love you, and you've missed that class enough, let's get a move on."

Jaune, not knowing what 'stair time' meant, just looked on confused until he realized he needed to get to Anatomy. As he ran down the hall he saw fellow classmates figuring out there own classes or sprinting down the hall as well. Jaune wouldn't say he was a particularly good student but he got A's and B's and was happy enough with it.

Taking two steps at a time up the stairs, Jaune was out of breath by the time he reached the fourth and final floor of Vale Central High School and pushed busted through the door to Ms. Goodwitch's room.

"Nice to see you Jaune, punctual as always."

The classroom had student tables in a U-shape around the teacher's desk and seat, Jaune moved to the open seat next to an 'over-encumbered' blonde and a tall brunette guy with an open hawaiin shirt over a white undershirt and slightly reddish-eyes. As Jaune approached he saw the blonde had purple eyes, short-shorts, and a tank top that read, 'look and weep'.

He sat down and immediately the dude to his left put his hand under his shirt and pushed it up so his lips touched his shirt and then inhaled a sharp breath from a device under his shirt. The kid then exhaled towards the back of the class a faint grey vapor. Jaune rolled his eyes.

Ms. Goodwitch either didn't see, or most likely ignored it as she kept speaking of an up-coming week long lab. Jaune decided to agree the Ms. Goodwitch and ignore the kid as well and rest his chin on his arms as he half paid attention to the teacher.

"So, as for determining your partners, I believe the person you are sharing a table with will make a fine choice."

The class had 30 people in it spread over 15 tables with 2 spare tables in the back of the class in case of more students. Jaune glanced down to see who he shared a table with and looked to see he shared a table with the blonde. He breathed a quick sigh of relief.

* * *

Yang looked up at the scrawny blonde that sat next to her and noted his face and mannerisms. He had a handsome enough face, nothing crazy but certainly good looking; the strangest thing was how he acted, he seemed so done with life. He might have depression or at least be in a seriously downtrodden mood.

As Ms. Goodwitch passed out the procedure and questions for the lab Yang turned to her soon to be partner.

"Hey, I'm Yang."

"Hey, I'm Jaune?" Jaune seemed weirded out, "isn't that a boring way to start the conversation, and isn't this a stereotypical way for us to meet."

"I don't know, I just figured I might as well make the first move. You looked like you were happy to sit there."

"Geez, sorry. What's the first step?"

Yang and Jaune went to grab the supplies from a cart in the room; the class was pretty boring as a whole, but Yang gave Jaune her number because she said, "yeah I think this grade might actually matter, so here's my number. You organize when we meet and shit." Jaune figured that is fine and pushed through the door into the hallway.

Jaune pulled his phone out and looked to see what period he had; his phone showed he had woodworking, his easy elective. Jaune eyes drifted over the heads of the students; when Jaune first came to Vale Central High freshmen year, he was told there were 1200 students here, and it was exclusively high school. Jaune had previously gone to Ansel Middle, a small school with barely 600 kids there for K-8; Jaune ended up having trouble adapting to his new surroundings and clung to Ren, his one friend from Ansel.

The colors of Vale Central High adorned the walls in striking ribbons and little flags of green and black with a tiny huntsman emblazoned on each one, the proud mascot. Jaune stepped through the door to see sawdust spraying everywhere as people went about their woodworking way. He saw his friend of the class skate to the next place at her workstation by way of rolling office chair, she then lowered a saw through a measured plank of wood, no doubt carving her next great masterpiece. Her silver eyes lit up upon seeing Jaune and she gave a friendly wave and hopped off the chair; Jaune got a good look at her when she was running over and he saw she had baggy sweatpants and a loose t-shirt around her diminutive frame; Ruby stopped just short of Jaune after her short sprint over, almost nervous.

"Uh, hey Jaune."

"Hi Ruby," Jaune internally cringed at Ruby's inability to handle normal social situations and he leaned down to give her a pat on the head, much to her displeasure.

The period went well and Jaune didn't do much besides socialize with Ruby, before the subject of Anatomy came up.

"Yeah! And I got this weird partner, her name is Yang," Ruby's eyes widen, but Jaune fails to notice and continues to talk, "she was chill though, so alls well that ends well, wait what's wrong?"

"You know Yang!" Ruby screeched at the top of her lungs, likely breaking glass, "I should have thought to introduce you but you managed to do it without me needing to help, so I'm inviting you and your sister to a party Yang and I are having in a week."

"What?"

"So be ready to party Jaune because your'a'comin," Ruby smiled at him, "It would honestly only be bearable if you are there."

"Ok, fine I give," Jaune sighed at his futile efforts to resist Ruby's puppy dog eyes.

"Yay! Then it's a date." Jaune's eyes narrowed as Ruby spoke out.

Jaune had just met Ruby when they started this class together as it was likely the only way they could have met, since Ruby is a freshman and Jaune is a junior. Electives can a lot of the time be taken by any grade and woodworking was one such elective.

Jaune left woodworking to finally head to his free period, when on the way he stumbled in Roman. Roman Torchwick was the plug for most things you needed, he operated not just to Vale Central High School, but also Mistral Christian Academy, Atlas School for the Gifted, and Vacuo. He was far from the only dealer, but you still didn't want to cross him.

Jaune's shoulder hit Romans and he immediately apologized profusely, and then he looked up and saw it was Roman. Roman had tight, torn, jeans and a name brand well tailored t-shirt with his classic large brim baseball cap, he was part of this year's senior class. They say he wears it while he fucks. Jaune saw the glint in Roman's eye when Jaune hit him and he was confused by it, until Roman began to speak.

"Woah, not so fast there youngster, what are you in such a rush for," Roman settled a hand on Jaune's shoulder, "I mean, we've got so much time to chill, what class do you have right now."

Jaune wished he had said history and ran as fast as he could with that excuse, but Jaune was too stressed to say anything but the truth, "I have a free period actually."

Roman's face lit up, "well then there is no reason to not hang with us then."

Roman gestured to a group of people lingering near him, there was a brutish man with a fully grown beard, Jaune suspected he was a senior as well as Roman, there was also a pair of twins one in a red skirt the other in a white, and lastly, clinging to Roman and loving everything that came out of his mouth was a short girl with brown hair but half was dyed pink and she had heterochromia or a pink eye contact as her right eye was pink and her left was brown, she had black leggings and a tight tank top.

"Yeah, I guess I don't have a reason."

* * *

**Hey, I don't know how much I'll upload but it is all up to self-discipline and such. This will also have the Coeur Al'Aran Arc family, yeah.**


	2. Chapter 2

Jaune wasn't perfect.

He knew this as he walked through the halls with Roman's arm draped across his shoulder.

He had done bad stuff; nothing too bad mind you, but he was a junior at Vale Central High. Vale Central High was not the place to be, sure it wasn't quite the drug school Vacuo was, but people didn't forget things in Vale, and violence was rampant and often one of the go-to methods for shutting someone up, that and blackmail; the motto of some of the unsavorys at Vale was that, 'everyone has some dirt, it just depends on how deep its buried'. Jaune had thankfully steered clear of most of the drama, he wasn't a player but he wasn't a virgin, he wasn't always high but he did shit at parties; Jaune knew he wasn't perfect, he didn't fight people though, it wasn't that he didn't want to he was just shit at it. But none of this mattered now because Roman had stopped walking.

They were standing in front of an empty classroom on the bottom floor in the southwest wing. Neo dug in her satchel and produced a key that she placed daintily into Roman's hand; the key turned the lock and Roman stepped in followed by Neo, while Jaune was jostled in by the juggernaut of a man pulling up the rear, the twins slipped in the room around his massive frame. The lights flickered on and inside the classroom was some sort of lounge area; it had three couches in total, clearly taken from some front lawns or attics, which were against the back walls, with a TV and connected game console, the room also had a few beanbag chairs and a big footlocker in the corner, there were some blankets and fast food wrappers on the ground as well. Roman settled onto one of the couches with Neo jumping nest to him, the big man sat on the locker in the back looking over the room, the two twins jumped onto some beanbags and started turning on the TV. That left Jaune to sit on one of the couches on either side of Roman.

"Sooooo," Roman eyed Jaune expectantly. Jaune plopped himself onto the empty couch, to the right of Roman

"What?"

"Ugh," Roman rubbed his eyes and put on a fake smile, "Hi I'm Roman, and this is Neo," he pointed to the short multi-colored girl, "This is Hei, we just call him Junior," he gestured to the easily 6'5" musclebound bearded man, "And these are the twins, Militia," he kicked towards one of the twins, this one wearing a red t-shirt and jean shorts, "And Melanie," he pointed lastly to the other twin, her wearing a white tube-top and short-shorts.

Roman waited a second. Jaune blinked. Roman sighed, "And you are sir?"

"Oh I'm Jaune," Jaune cringed at the awkwardness of the situation, Roman let out an easy grin and gestured at Junior. The man nodded once and marched behind the empty couch and pulled a chest from behind it out, he produced a key from inside his hoodie and twisted it inside the lock, the chest popped open to reveal a cache of 'the good stuff', Roman looked expectantly at Jaune. "It's my treat Jaune, I brought you here so help yourself."

Jaune sat straighter to get a better look inside the chest, there was molly, acid, even a baggie with some mushrooms in it, the chest was full of drugs, Jaune hadn't even seen half the pills in there, let alone used them.

"I don't know man," Jaune struggled to find an excuse, "I got class and shit."

Roman raised an eyebrow and looked at Junior, "What would the chef recommend this evening?"

"Well, we just got some good leaf from Cali, legit shit I'd bet my life on it, and some new pills from my boy down south, y'know Jimmy," Jaune shook his head, Junior sighed, "Ah, well if you did you would know what it would entail."

Roman turned back to Jaune, "well any of that sound good?"

Jaune's mind raced to get out of the situation and took the easiest, "Well can't go wrong with weed right?"

Roman's smirk appeared and Junior gave a, what Jaune believed was an affirmatory, grunt.

"Alright pack it neat big boy." Roman propped his legs up on a table in front of his couch as Junior started to roll, what Jaune had to admit, was the cleanest joint he had ever seen. Jaune's eyes trailed from the drugs up to watch the TV and saw Militia, the red topped one, throw her controller down in rage as Melanie grinned, "Three stock, bitch."

Those three words from Melanie's mouth sent Militia over the edge and she started ranting at her twin who just grinned and turned to Junior, who gave a little thumbs up. Jaune looked to the quietest member in the room just to see that she was staring directly at him as well. Neo, the pink and brown colored girl, looked at him with an impassive gaze. Jaune broke eye contact first just to see the joint being lit up, Junior had the first hit, as the man who rolls it always should, he then passed it to Roman, who took a hit while shaking his head.

"You couldn't have made a blunt?" Roman exhaled a plume of smoke, "I need my nicotine Junior."

"You've got plenty of cigars for that Roman." Melanie butted in, Militia was still muttering about Ridley being overpowered or something.

"Haha, too true." Roman took a second hit and then held out his hand for Neo to take it; Neo took a small hit and then started hacking her lungs out, this earned a laugh from all the assembled group, including, Jaune was surprised, himself.

Neo pouted but held it out for Jaune to take; Jaune wasn't inexperienced, but he didn't get high very often, he didn't own any supplies or even drugs for that matter. Jaune inhaled for about 3 seconds and then let out the smoke and fought the temptation not to cough, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Roman and his lot.

He managed to get through it and passed it to Militia; this cycle continued for some time until the end of the second joint and they were all strung out over the room in various states of disarray.

Neo had ended up asleep in Roman's lap, and the flamboyant high schooler himself was typing on his phone, ignoring her. Junior was packing up the papers and drugs and pushed the chest back behind the couch. The twins were just talking between themselves in a relaxed stupor.

Jaune just thought everything was just great and had settled into his seat.

"So what's your deal?" Jaune glanced over to see Militia looking at him, her sister having gone off to pester Junior about finding some other way to pay him back.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I don't know, I just see you hanging around Ren all the time."

Jaune waited for her to continue but she just looked at him with green eyes that possessed a reddish tint.

"Well yeah, he's my friend."

"I know that… But what do you do, like to have fun or something."

"Uh, I either hang out with Ren or do homework I guess."

"Homework is fun?"

"Well no, but I thought you meant as a hobby or something."

"You do homework as a hobby?"

"No, just, nevermind, uh, restart."

Militia grinned and got up from her bean bag to sit next to Jaune, "Well I'm Militia and I like to party."

Roman interrupted whatever Militia was gonna say next by standing up suddenly, knocking Neo onto the floor, and speaking to all of them, "Ok we got business, let's mosey," Roman tipped his hat to Jaune as he passed by, "Nice seeing you Jaune, stop by anytime, oh and add me on snap." He held out his phone for Jaune to get the snapcode and then he walked out the doors snapping his fingers. Militia looked at Jaune with a pout, "Maybe next time Jaune," she stood up and stretched, "I do hope you come back though, you're not bad." She then filed out after Roman; Neo, Junior, and Melanie trickled out after, with Junior helping Jaune up and ushering him out as well.

Jaune was feeling it as he walked down the hallway and decided to take a detour to the bathroom; he pushed open the door and looked into the mirror, "Fuck." Jaune's eyes were not exactly bloodshot but they had a red tinge. He felt tingles all over his body and relaxed, Junior was right, it was good shit.

Jaune stumbled out of the bathroom with a goofy grin and a newfound confidence that almost definitely resided in the leaves of that blessed plant; He pulled out his phone and looked at the time, to see that he was already halfway through lunch and feeling hungry as hell. Jaune made his way to the cafeteria and walked through the lunchline grabbing a tray and putting on a slice of pizza and some fruit salad, he finished with a bottle of water and went up to the lunch lady.

He ended up sitting on his own in a corner as he couldn't see Ren. Jaune was scrolling through his phone when a tray clattered across the table from him; he looked up to see a black-haired girl with her head already buried in a book. Jaune looked around to see if this was some weird ploy, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Jaune opened his mouth but before he could say anything she answered the unasked question.

"Their were no open tables."

Jaune's mouth clicked shut, he gave a nod, and went back to his phone. About twenty minutes later Jaune was just having a great time, he couldn't focus on anything but that was fine with him. He looked up to see the girl looking at him weird.

"You good?"

"I'm actually Jaune, but that's ok."

"Hm, well your eyes look a little red there Jaune, you sure your good?"

"Yeah girl, I am a-okay. Wait who are you?" Jaune, for the life of him, just couldn't remember her name.

"We've never met," oh yeah that's why he couldn't remember, "I'm Blake."

Her eyes bore into him and Jaune glanced back down at his now empty tray.

"Are you high Jaune?"

"Shhhhhh, shush the frick up Blake," Jaune waved his hands wildly, "Be chill."

Blake rolled her eyes, "That answers that I guess, and I'm 'chill' so don't worry. Are you a stoner or what?"

"I don't do this often but the situation arised an-"

"Arised isn't a word, it's arose"

Jaune continued, undeterred, "And this was the best option."

"How is getting high the best option?"

"Well y'know, this or pills."

"Oh."

"Oh is right… So books?"

"Shut up, your high."

"True."

Blake then got up, "Lunch is over Jaune, I'm sitting here tomorrow, you're fun to watch," she then proceeded to grab her bag and leave.

"Thanks I guess."

Jaune walked to his next class, bumping into a few people on the way and muttering half-assed apologies.

He pushed into pre-calculus with a few minutes to spare and claimed a seat second row to the back. The class had 6 columns of desks with 6 rows in total; the people that cared were already here and in the front, with the Schnee chick in the most middle front desk she could get. Mr. Port marched in a few minutes later after most of the other students had trickled in, and he began his lesson. Jaune's head fell to his desk as the drug had made him weary, and he dozed off.

Jaune was roused by a hip hitting his shoulder as he opened his eyes to see Port talking about the homework due tomorrow to the already leaving class; Jaune stood up and stretched and followed the mass of bodies leaving the room.

**Bam, wham, thank you ma'am, done with Chapter dos.**


End file.
